Notes for the Poultry Keeper

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 144, 20 June 1936, Page 13

Notes for the Poultry Keeper

Writing in the journal of Agriculture, Mr G. J. G. Cussin, chief instructor, has some timely remarks ui*:ii pullets breaking-down. [Some Ailments. A correspondent inquires about the cause of pullets breaking down and at times bleeding to death. This trouble is what is known as protrusion or prolapse of tho oviduct, and is really due to a weakness of the muscular portions of the walls of the oviduct, which makes th'o oviduct unable to stand tho strain of great eggproduction. At times it would appear that this weakness is inherited, as plants have been visited where pullets bred from certain males have shown a marked tendency to this trouble. *>.iso it may be brought on by feeding too much animal food, such as meat, meatmeal, or milk, and on occasions the bleeding is caused by other hens pecking at the oviduct just when a hen is in the act of laying. This ofteu brings on a hemorrhage, and then the other hens in the dock will also pick at the bleeding part. If such is the case, it is well to darken tho nests by tacking scrim or sacking in front of the nests, or make tho nests so deep that the oviduct of the bird cannot be seen or picked at when laying. When this troublo first starts in a flock it is advisable to keep a close watch on the birds for an hour or so during the morning, and often the culprit may be seen walking along tho front of the nests waiting for a chance to pick at other birds when laying. If these birds are detected and removed from the flock, further trouble may bo checked. While protrusion of the oviduct is often brought on by the feeding of too much animal food, cases of cannibalism have been known to liavo been caused by pullets not- being fed sufficient animal food. It is well, therefore, when this trouble starts in a flock, to make every effort to find the cause and to remedy the conditions. A regular supply of succulent green feed, the feeding of a little more grain and less mash, the addition of one packet, of Epsom sails to each gallon of drinking-water every second day until tho trouble is checked, and the increasing of the amount of litter in order to encourage exercise, is a suggested treatment. Egg-eating Habit. Most hens will greedily eat eggs if any get broken, and this annoying habit is often the result of eating a thiu-shoi-led egg that has been broken when laid on tho ground or in a nest which has not had sufficient nesting material in it. At times a male bird has been known to start the trouble, and where such is the case ho should bo removed from the pen. Experiments have jirovcd that hens will lay just as many eggs when running without male birds, so unless the eggs aro required for hatching purposes there is no necessity to keep male birds. Like many bad habits, egg-eating is more easily prevented than cured. A sufficient number of uests should be provided—i.c., one nest to each four or five hens, and plenty of nesting material such as line sand, Piuus iusiguis sawdust, piue-aecdles, or soft straw should bo used. A cure has sometimes been effected by supplying the birds with a number of nearly whole fresh egg-shells. If a local baker is asked to save, say, a half kerosene-tin full of fresh eggshells, and these are placed near the nests, tho liens may eat so many that their appetites for eggs may be destroyed. Overhaul of riant. As the present time is what might be termed the poultry-keeper’s “slack” period, it affords an opportunity to give the whole plant a good overhaul, so that everything may bo in good order for the coming busy season. Kepairs to fences, gates, nests, feedtroughs, perches, and c., should bo given attention. In fact, if a prompt and regular system of repairs were adopted on all plants, the heavy expense of replacement would often Ijo sa.ved. Many poultry-runs would be much improved by ploughing or digging and the sowing of a. green crop such os oats, barley, or mustard. If a run is at all tainted, and it is not convenient to turn it over, it is a wise plan to give the ground a good dressing of lime to the extent of about Üb. of lime to each square yard. Some poultry-keepers fail to realise how much improvements birds show when on fresh sweet water ground. No farmer would expect his sheep to do well if kept in tho same paddock year after year, yet poultry aro often compelled to live in the same small yard long after the ground has become tainted and l'owl-sick. When erecting a poultry-house, it is advisable, if possible, to provide for two runs, so that they may bo used alternately and sweetened Regularly. If this were done, such trouble as worminfestation and other troubles attributable to stale ground would not be so prevalent. Sawdust as Nest Litter. Tho most satisfactory of the many litters used for nest boxes, according to an experienced poultrymau, is dean sawdust, and the next best is straw cut shorty. Long straw is easily pushed away by the birds which turn round and round, carefully pushing it all into the corners. They are also liable to get long straw tangled round their legs, and cither of these conditions may result iu broken eggs. With sawdust neither of these things aro likely to happen if enough is used, and if there is an instep to prevent it falling out. A bird may go round and round pushing the sawdust away, but it falls back again and tho egg is laid on a soft bed of sawdust. Much the saniß thing happens with cut’ straw, except that, being much lighter, it is liable to be kicked out of the nest. Another advantage of using sawdust is that is keeps the eggs cleaner. When a bird goes into tho nest with dirty' feet the sawdust clings to the feet and dries them beforo tho egg is laid. If droppings are deposited in the nests, the powdery sawdust covers

them and causes them to dry up. If nests arc uncomfortable iu size or badly littered there will be the maximum number of cracked eggs—many, perhaps, so slightly cracked that the blemish passes unnoticed when packing. The Helpful Spray. Some people can turn any particular appliance to several uses; others limit them to just one particular office. The very useful spray is rarely used for anything but white-washing yet it has other uses. The spray will more effectually disinfect an incubator thau washing it by hand, as the spray forces the disinfecting fluid well into the ercviccs; also, it does the work in half the time and is much less tiring. It is also useful for spraying, lightly, disinfecting fluid over and under the birds as they sit on the perches at night if they have colds, or something •worse. In hot weather it could be used with the greatest advantage in spia}ing round the doorway's and the earth in the runs of backyards in the summci* time. EGG LAYING CONTEST AT MASSEY COLLEGE 12th. WEEK’S KESULTS Single Pens

]" EGER’S White Leghorn and 8.0. or Australorps are highly select stock for rugged health, large eggs, and profitable poultry farming. Having installed a Garnblo Mammoth we can quote for customers’ hatching. Write for price list. Established .35 years.— H. LEGEIu Weraroa, Levin.

Section A. A. G. Mumby, AV.L. 1 (3) 63 R, M. Smith, AV.L. 1 (5) 63 Miss H. Keddeli, AV.L. 2 (5) 60 A, G. Mumby, AV.L. - (3) 59 Rangiuru Eyg Bauch, AA'.L. 3 (5) 59 G. E. Moody, W.L. — (1) 5S Mrs C. A. Stratford, W.L. — (1) 55 Miss 11. Kcddcll, AV.L. 1 (5) 52 A. A. Hoare, AA'.L. 2 (1) 48 A. G. Mumby, AV.L. i (6) 46 F. Ecob, AV.L. — (0) 42 J. Reilly AV.L. - (9) 39 R. M. Smith W.L. 2 (3) 39 Miss E. Ladd AV.L. — (J) 37 A. A. Hoare, AV.L. .1 (4) 31 A. G. Mumby, AA'.L. 3 (4) 34 A. E. Salisbury, AV.L. 3 (6) 33 J. Reilly, AV.L. 1 (D 32r C. L. AV. Urquhart, AV.L. — (5) 32r A. E. Salisbury, AV.L. 1 (-D 31 J. A. Anuau, AV.L. — (0) 29 M. StepLeusou, AA'.L. •— (3) 28 Moreland Bros., AV.L. — (1) 26 Rangiuru Egg Ranch, AV.L. 1 (3) 23 E. B. AVainseott, AV.L. — (0) 23 Mrs B. B. Andrews,.AV.L. — (5) 22 Rangiuru Egg Rauch, AV.L. 2 (0) 17 J. Mold, AA'.L. — (4) 13 A. E. Salisbury, AV.L. 2 (6) 13 H. Bolsou, AV.L. — (1) 4 F. Ji. Paddy, Min. — (0) dr C. H. Barker, AV.L. 1 (6) 0 2 (0) 0 Section B. T. Dowtkwaite, B.O. 2 ((3) 68 3 (6) 68 A. E. Salisbury, A.O. 3 (6) OS F. Seymour, B.O. — (6) 65 Norman Ross, B.O. — (6) 61 J. H. Sutton, A.O. — (5) 64 E. Feist, K.l.B. 2 (5) 60 J. AValker, A.O. — (6) 59 T. Dowthwaite, B.O. J (5) 57 A. E. Salisbury, A.O. 1 (3) 54 AA\ A. Larsen, A.O. — (5) 39 A. E. Salisbury, A.O. 2 (3) 36 R. M. Smith, B.O. — (0) 35 R. Feist, R.I.R. ~ 1 (5) 29 Mrs Norman Ross, A.O. — (0) 25 G. A. Edge, R.I.R. —■ (5) 17 J. D. Rowlands, R.I.R. — (4) 14 Teams Results Section C (All W.L,) F. Ecob (No. 2) 49 43 12 52 51 40 (16) 247 C. L. W. Urquhart 35 34 50 55-31 39 (23) 244 Argyle Poultry Farm 45 44 41 30 29 44 ( 3) 233 F. Ecob (No. 1) 49 33 62 19 22 43 (24) 228 J. Graham 31 50 46 30 26 30 (19) 213 Cotswold Poultry Farm 22 2S 48 57 0 23 (15) 178 S. D. Morris 25 18 21 43 IS 51 (10) 176 S. G. Batten 19 23 13 51 26 42 (11) H4 M. Stephenson 2 50 36 13 25 18 (IS) 144 Penrose Poulttry Farm 2S 28 2 25 35 25 (10) 143 E. AV. Thompson 14 19 4S 28 Or 18'( 3) 127 D. M. Peek 3 9 57 1 7 44 (12) 121 R. Forlong lGd 5 8 39 40 11 (22) 119 J. AVilson 3 13 20 19 34 29 ( 7) ns J. T. Hazelwood '25 17 3 13 11 37 ( 5) 106 Mrs G. E. Sewell 19 24 32 17 12 0 ( S) 104 A. E. Salisbury 23 23 12 0 0 37 ( S) 95 H, Poison. 26 13 9 27 11 0 ( 6) 89 Miss H. Keddeli 14 33 3 0 14 16 ( S) SO J. F. Faulkner 27 25 3 1 6 10 ( 6) 72 A. J. Hudson 16 17 0 6 15 5i (13) 59 Mrs B. B. Andrews 5 10 10 3 7 Or (11) 35 Section D. Mrs D. M. AVaddell, B.O. 65 65 23 41 56 17 (32) 267 Cotswold Poultry Farm, A.O. 61 31 66 26 56 17 (26) 257 Luke Fletcher, B.O. 45 59 4 16 53 IS (15) 225 J. B. Duthie, B.O. (No. 1) 25 29 31 71 7 53 (21) 216 J. B. Duthie, R.I.R. 33 50 3S 14 1 64 (22) 200 F. A. Dewhurst, R.I.R. 23 51 13 45 34 19 (19) 185 A. E. Salisbury, A.O.

43 (31 35 A. Thomson, A.O. 2S G 4r ( 9) 177 59 50 11 J. B. Duthie, B.O. (N 4 27 o. 2) Jo ( S) 154 40 23 36 Mrs It. Willers, B.O. 5 31 9 (5) 144 27 0 35 Bliss Bros., E.I.B. 36 3S 0 ( 6) 136 22 0 32 W. A. Larsen, A.O. 36 7 35 (16) 132 2D 24 19 W. Fletcher, A.O. 0 34 17 (25) 123 1 16 23 I. J. Grose, B.O. 4 26 17 (22) S7 H 711 4 G, A. Ld S e, K.I.R. 27 Ul) 63 0 12 21 11 3 “x” Replacement, d” Bird dead. 0 ( 7) 52